Mighty Ducks An Interlude

**A.N: This is just an interlude that takes place the day before Miss McKay cancels their practice, forcing Bombay to wake-up and realize what he has been doing to his team. As far as I can tell, it is fully canon compatible, and a good portion of it is just a retelling of the first movie from Charlie, Adam, and Fulton's POV.**

**I might add more to this later, but if I do, it will be based in different parts of the movies. I haven't decided yet. Also, I do not have a Beta Reader (this is usually my friends' job, but they've been busy).**

**If you notice any grammar mistakes, please tell me. Thank you.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own this trilogy or the cartoon that it spawned. If I did, I would not be writing fan fiction… I would be living the high life, writing scripts for new movies and making Portman sing at least once in D3. Yes, I will be taking some lines directly from the films. I claim no credit for them.**

"How did ya'll meet?" Dwayne asked the Ducks one day while they were waiting for Miss McKay to get to their classroom.

"And what's up with Coach?" Luis asked.

It was Charlie that had to answer as the rest of the team just looked at him, "Before we got Coach last year, we were just District 5. We all went to school together, except for Adam, and we were the worst team in the league. None of us really knew Fulton, and Adam was a Hawk who went to a private school so all we knew about him was that he was the enemy. If you haven't already heard the story, the Hawks were the team that we hated most, sorta like how we hate Iceland now. They have been the best team in the league since before our parents were born... they only lost the state championship one time in the last thirty years. District 5, however, hadn't won a game in years."

"Then how did Adam and Fulton get on the team?" Julie asked.

"How about I start at when Coach joined us?" Charlie asked. Everyone nodded, and Charlie started again, "Like I said, we were the worst team in the league while the Hawks were the best. Our record when Coach joined us was 0-9. The one game that we called close had us losing by five points. Our old coach yelled at us so much that he had a heart attack one day and quit while he was still in the hospital. A few days later, we were skating on the pond that we called our rink when a limo pulled out on the ice. Bombay got out and explained that he was our new coach. We thought he was a drug dealer at first, and Jesse told him to leave before something bad happened, but he just reached into his pocket and pulled out our roster. He was a real jerk then. The next day, we lost miserably against the Hawks. The day after our first game with Coach, Dave Karp, one of the original District 5 players, found a box of old _Sports Illustrated_ magazines. Some of us were looking at them when Adam, McGill, and Larson, three Hawks, skated up and started in on us. They literally skated circles around us, taunting us. Karp got angry and rushed at them, but they just pushed him into a pile of garbage and egged us on, looking for a fight. Fulton walked up behind them, picked up all three of them, and threw them into the trash. He was a good foot taller than they were, even with them wearing skates. He growled at them, and they all ran off. Fulton had been protecting us off and on for quite a while against them, getting into fights all the time for us, so we thanked him, and he walked off."

"Was Karp okay after that? He did end up under the three when I threw them," Fulton asked.

"He was fine. He was just unhappy that someone else had to step in, but he was glad that you were there," Jesse told him.

"A few days later, Coach started teaching us how to cheat, telling us to "Take the fall, act hurt, get indignant." The ref saw right through it and told him to cut it out… not that he listened," Charlie told them.

"I remember that game," Fulton spoke up, "you were the only one who didn't do what he said and he yelled at you for it. I was sitting in the stands."

Charlie nodded, "Yeah, Jesse's dad was not happy about that little stunt either. I walked out of the locker room as he walked in, but I heard that he yelled at Coach for it. Anyway, a few days later, Coach went around and apologized for not being a real coach for us. He also begged his boss, Mr. Ducksworth, for money so that we could get rink time and real equipment. We were using old magazines and duct tape as pads... they didn't work so well. Fulton, who hung out around the skate shop a lot, helped us pick stuff out when we went to buy new stuff, and Peter Mark, another original D5 player, found out that Coach used to be a Hawk. We also gained two new teammates, Tammy and Tommy Duncan. They were figure skaters. Tommy told his sister that she had to play hockey if she wanted him to figure skate. She was not happy about it, but she couldn't skate doubles without a partner. That's also the day that Coach tied Goldberg to the goalpost and we shot pucks at him until he figured out that it didn't hurt to get him."

"And then you left me there!" Goldberg exclaimed.

"We didn't leave you there very long and you could've gotten out of the ropes on your own," Jesse told him.

"Fulton, you joined us the next day, but Coach never told us how he got you on the team. So, why don't you tell the next part?" Charlie asked him.

Fulton nodded, "I was shooting pucks in an alley when I broke out a window on a van that was passing. Coach jumped out and asked me how I learned to shoot. Then he asked me to join the team. I told him that I couldn't, and he asked why. I just told him that I just couldn't and he asked if I was afraid. I called him a moron and let him know that I couldn't skate. He gathered the team, gave me a bunch of pads and a pair of skates, and let us loose in the mall."

"I remember that," Charlie stated. "You knocked some woman into a fountain after skating down a flight of stairs. The next day, we became the Ducks. Fulton was the first one to take a jersey, the rest of us just followed him. Our first game as Ducks was Fulton's first game that he went to as part of a team. The Oreo line (Jesse, his little brother Terry, and Guy) scored our first goal ever, and Karp got hit so hard that the puck put a dent in his helmet. My favorite part of that game was the final thirty seconds. Since Fulton was still unsteady on his skates, he hadn't played up to that point. When he got the puck and went to take a shot, the other team freaked. They left the net wide open with the goalie hiding behind it. Connie took the puck from Fulton and passed it to Guy, who took the shot, giving us our first game where we didn't lose. We didn't win either, but it was a start."

"The Hawks had a game the next day," Adam butted in, "Coach walked out on the ice with some guy in a suit and told Coach Reilly that I couldn't play for them because the league lines had been redrawn. If I continued playing for the Hawks, they would have to forfeit every single game for the rest of the season. My father told Coach that if I had to play for the Ducks, then I would quit playing completely... I really didn't care which team I played for, I just wanted to play. It took me a week to convince him to let me play with you guys and he still tried to make a deal with the Pee Wee Hockey League. Coach wouldn't withdraw his complaint, so Dad's request was denied."

"When we were told that Adam was joining our team, we fell apart and ended up forfeiting the next game against the Jets. Everyone but me and Fulton walked out when Peter told that Coach was a Hawk. Coach had also told Reilly that we were losers that didn't deserve to live. He was being sarcastic, but Jesse didn't take it that way, and most of the team agreed with Jesse."

"We didn't like him," Jesse said, "we just needed one excuse to be right."

"Coach told me a few days later that he was quitting, and that Jesse's dad was going to take over as coach. I might've yelled at him, but he wouldn't budge on his decision. There was a team fight the next day at school. The principal walked in before anyone got hurt, and we ended up quacking at her. We all got detention writing lines about not quaking at the principal, but it was worth it. Coach came in and talked to us about being our coach. He explained his comments to Reilly and told us that we had been cheated because Adam hadn't been on our team all year. He got us out of detention after we decided to try for our one shot at the play-offs. The next day was the game that would decide the last spot. Adam joined us for that game. Jesse wasn't very welcoming."

"I ended up being called Cake-eater for a long time after that," Adam told them. "I wasn't accepted by anyone except Charlie until after I made my first goal as a Duck. Jesse's trust took a lot longer to earn. Fulton made the winning goal by knocking the puck all the way through the net, and all of a sudden, we were in the play-offs. Playing with the Ducks was a lot different than playing with the Hawks. Our play-off gift was a good example. We didn't get gifts for winning when I was with the Hawks, it was just expected."

"Play-off gift?" Portman asked.

"Yeah," Charlie answered, "For making the play-offs, Coach got us into the North Star's rink. We met some of the players as they were leaving practice, had a lot of fun just fooling around on the ice, and got to see their game that night. Coach even got us up on the jumbo-tron."

"The only black spot on going to the game was that McGill and Larson were there, too," Adam said. "They were Hawks to the core. I had been friends with them since before I could remember, but all they saw was a traitor. They made some motions like they were shooting at me and I ducked down in my seat to avoid them."

"And I glared at you because I thought you were embarrassed at being seen with us," Jesse added.

"I wasn't embarrassed. You didn't know them that well, but they were my best friends. When I became a Duck, they dropped me like I had a deadly disease. Hawks weren't known for loyalty. You might've been able to avoid them, but I had to see them every day at school. I've always known that the Hawks were bullies, even when I was one, and while they never actually bullied me, the only time anyone talked to me was when I was at practice or when a teacher asked me a question. My own dad didn't like the Ducks, and my brothers were no different. I learned later, after I got hurt, that my family didn't know what to say to me after I 'crossed enemy lines.' They weren't trying to avoid me like the kids at school were. My teachers decided that avoidance was another form of bullying and forced my dad to transfer me into the same school as the rest of the Ducks within two weeks of me changing teams."

"Anyway, we made it through the play-offs fine.," Charlie continued the story. "Our last game was against the Hawks, of course. Everything was going great until the second period of the game. Coach Reilly and McGill decided that Adam needed to be taken out of the game. McGill pushed Adam hard enough that, when Adam hit the goal post, not only did the puck go in but Adam ended up with a concussion. When he was being taken out of the rink, he won Jesse's trust by asking if the puck went in and telling him to 'kick some Hawk butt.' Coach had to stop us from going after McGill for his cheap shot. He put Fulton in and told Jesse to give him plenty of time for his shot. Just like that, we were only down by one point. Of course, the Hawks gained another point right after that, but Coach let Tammy and Tommy use their skills to distract the Hawks and get that one back. McGill then made a big mistake... he knocked Tammy down while the clock was stopped. Fulton ended up being kicked out of the game for picking up McGill, throwing him over a wall, and picking a fight with the rest of the Hawks."

"He deserved it," Fulton told them.

Guy nodded and spoke up, "Right after that was the first and only time that the Oreo line got to lead the Flying V. We tied the game with that move. In the last few seconds, Charlie almost scored the winning goal, but one of the Hawks hooked him and knocked him off his skates right as the buzzer sounded. He got a penalty shot, and just like that, the worst team in the league were state champions."

"A couple weeks later, Coach left to try out for the minors. He didn't come back until a few weeks before Tibbles came into the skate shop with the offer to coach Team USA. The rest of us helped Fulton on his skates and played street hockey whenever we could. Adam, once he got out of the hospital, wasn't let out of the house much, but we all got together as a team as much as possible. Averman and Goldberg got jobs, Connie and Guy started dating, and once my mom got married, I started hanging out at the skate shop so much that Hans and Jan gave me a job there. Peter, Karp, Tammy, Tommy, and Terry all moved away during the summer."

"I think you're forgetting a big part of the story, Charlie," Averman stated.

"I am not! I said everything exactly like it happened."

"No, you didn't. You left out the part where you became 'Coach's pet' and where Coach started dating your mom," Averman replied.

"What?" Kenny asked.

"Yeah, after we all walked out on Coach, we started calling Charlie that because Coach was hanging out at his house a lot and because Charlie's mom was single. The fact that Coach kissed her in front of all of us before he left for his try-outs didn't help any," Jesse said.

"Wait, if your mom was dating Coach before he left, why did she get married while he was gone?" Julie asked.

"I spent months trying to get her together with Coach, but when he left it all fell apart. I guess she got tired of being alone," Charlie told them. "The guy is a jerk, but he's good to her. They dated for two months before they got married. The guy doesn't like me, and the feeling is mutual. It's why I spent so much time at the skate shop. We put up with each other for Mom's sake, but that's it. I avoid him, he avoids me, everyone is happy."

"Since we're all in a talking mood," Averman said, "I want to know how Fulton and Portman went from trying to kill each other to being the Bash Brothers."

Everyone looked at the two. Fulton answered, "Coach made us room together and told us that if we kept fighting, he would bench us during games. One Nirvana album later, we were friends."

The team had to accept that explanation since they all doubted that Fulton would say much more on the subject... he was notorious for not saying much about himself if he could help it, and they all doubted that Portman would say anything about it. While he did have a severe problem keeping his mouth shut, he rarely let out anything about himself to the team.

"So, what are we going to do about Coach?" Someone asked.

"I don't know. He hasn't been this crazy since he first started coaching us," Charlie said, "and even then he wasn't this bad. Back then, he didn't care if we won or lost or even showed up for the game. He was forced to be there, didn't mean that we were."

"He was forced to be there?"

"Yeah, he was arrested for drinking and driving. Coaching us was his community service," Charlie explained.

"Maybe we should get Miss McKay to help? She has the power to cancel practice if it's affecting our schoolwork," Connie said.

"That might work. We have a game tomorrow night, and we won't be able to play if Captain Blood kills us in practice tomorrow morning."

"So, we talk to her when she gets here for class?" Charlie asked.

Everyone nodded as she walked in the door.

"Miss McKay, can you cancel practice for us tomorrow morning?" Adam asked while faking a yawn.

Miss McKay looked shocked that _Adam_ asked for practice to be cancelled… he never wanted practice cancelled even if the entire rest of the team asked all the time. The rest of the team nodded, showing that they agree with their teammate.

"I can't just cancel practice for no reason," she told them.

Adam answered her, "We want to be able to play the game tomorrow night without feeling like our arms are falling off and without feeling like we're going to fall asleep while skating."

Again, the rest of the team nodded.

"We can't concentrate, Miss McKay," Julie added.

"I fell asleep while eating supper yesterday, Miss McKay," Goldberg said.

"My blue line to blue line time is up to three seconds, and I can't stay awake long enough to understand anything you're saying in class" Luis stated.

"We haven't turned on music in three days!" Portman exclaimed while Fulton nodded.

"None of us, except for maybe Julie and Adam, have been able to do any of our homework because we all fall asleep as soon as we get back to the dorms," Connie added.

"I will think about it," Miss McKay told them. "If I do cancel practice, what will all of you do tomorrow before the game?"

Charlie looked around at his teammates, "We'll probably play street hockey if we can find somewhere to set up a couple of goals. We can't just go into the game tomorrow night without some kind of work-out… we wouldn't be able to walk the next day."

"So, you want me to cancel your hockey practice so you can play hockey?" Miss McKay asked, raising her eyebrow.

"We want to play fun hockey, not Captain Blood hockey!" Averman told her.

"Captain Blood?"

"It's what we've been calling Coach. He hasn't been this bad at coaching since we were District 5 and he was just with us because of his community service, teaching us to cheat and yelling at us," Charlie told her, repeating what he had told his newest teammates.

"He taught you to cheat?"

"Let's just say that he was not happy to be coaching pee wee hockey at the time," Charlie told her, not wanting to get into the long explanation. "You'll have to ask him for the full story, but I'll say this… when we first met him, he told us that he hated hockey and didn't like kids."

"Okay then, so you just want to get away from Coach Bombay for the morning?"

"Exactly!" most of the team said.

"Miss McKay, we can handle having practice tonight if we can just have time to sleep tomorrow," Charlie told her, the others nodding, "but there is no way we can win tomorrow night if we have to have practice with Captain Blood tomorrow morning."

Miss McKay nodded her head, "Alright, I can understand where you are coming from. You can have the morning off, but you better be on time tomorrow night. If anyone is late for the game, that person will sit on the bench for as long as I see fit. Agreed?"

The team nodded their agreement and shook her hand. After that, she started class. Other than yawning every now and then, they were on their best behavior, doing their best to earn the cancelled practice. By the end of class, the entire team had yawned at least once, but their eyes were bright. Miss McKay finally dismissed her students with a promise that they would not have to have a "Captain Blood Practice" the next morning but warned them to not tell Coach about her decision because she needed to talk to him alone and this would give her the chance. They cheered and wished her luck on their way out the door.

After their practice that night, all of the Ducks were so tired that they literally (in the case of the Bash Brothers, Goldberg, and Averman) fell asleep with their practice clothes still on. The Bashes didn't even turn on their "sleeping tunes" before they passed out. The next morning, there was no mad rush for snooze buttons at five am, there was no race to the showers, and there was no hurry to grab breakfast. Instead, the early risers (Julie, Connie, Guy, Dwayne, Adam, and Kenny) got their showers before the rest of the team woke up, then they went and got breakfast for everyone before taking the food to their common room and waking everyone up around eight, which was about as late as they could sleep in after waking up at five every morning since the Iceland game. The rest of the team got their showers and started in on breakfast, thanking the early risers for braving the food court that early in the morning. Once everyone was finished eating, they got their gear and headed for the track that all the teams had access to. They had decided that they would do a really light work-out in the morning and then have a fun game (not a Captain Blood Scrimmage) in the afternoon before heading to the arena for their official game that night. They spent about an hour doing stretches before the complaining started.

"Coach isn't here, why do we have to be?"

"We have a game tonight. We have to work out."

"I say mutiny, who's with me?"

"Goldberg, I'm too tired for mutiny."

"Come on guys, it's not like we couldn't use the conditioning."

"Speak for yourself, babe."

"Her name is Julie, not babe!"

"Don't tell me how to talk, rich boy!"

"Hey! Portman! Chill!"

**A.N: So, what do you think? Flames will be read and ignored, but good reviews will help me write other stories. Thank you for reading, reviewing, and/or adding this to your favorites list.**


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Mighty Ducks, Friendship